Toy gun



Nov. 19, 1935. F. HAGEN 2,021,776

TOY GUN Filed Feb. 28, 1935 Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES Frank Hagen, Breese, Ill.

Application February 28, 1935, Serial No. 8,589

1 Claim.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in toy guns, the peculiarities of which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

My invention has reference to improvements in the construction and operation of toy guns using rubber bands tensioned over projecting stops forming notches on the barrel, and also to the operative means in connection with actuating means for releasing the tension bands.

My objects are to provide means first, for a simplified construction which can be manufactured and sold cheaply, and benefit a large number of youthful users; second, for a rearwardly rotatable actuating wheel which is turned by frictional contact of the hand in a rearward motion; third, for forming said stops; fourth, for maintaining the lifting tape aligned with the stops; and fifth, for frictional regulation of my actuating wheel.

In the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts,

Fig. 1 represents a side view of a.toy gun exemplifying my invention;

Fig. 2, a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3, a detail rear end view of my metal strip;

Fig. 3a, a side elevation of said strips folded at spaced intervals to form the stops;

Fig. 3b, a plan view of said strip; and.

Fig. 4, a perspective detail of my actuating winding wheel and a portion of the lifting tape secured thereto.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the barrel of a toy gun, 2 the stock and 3 a notch in the barrel at the muzzle end, or other means to hold the forward ends of rubber bands 4, which are tensioned by being stretched rearward and their respective ends slipped over vertically projecting stops 5, and down upon a tape 6 of webbing or other suit able material, which overlies the stops and. is brought down into the spaces between the stops and held by the bands which are disposed thereon. This interposed tape is fastened by its forward end to the barrel in front of the stops and extends rearwardly and aligned over the stops when it has been lifted successively out of the said spaces by suitable actuating means which pull on the rear end of the tape, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Said stops consist of a metal strip which is doubled in folding at right angles at spaced intervals, from a base 1 which has holes 8 by which brads secure it to the wooden'barrel. Its for ward end together with a brad fastens the forward end of said tape (Fig. 2). Stiff, upstanding stops are thus formed which are of comparatively small thickness and can be spaced closely lengthwise of the barrel, and thus provide a 5 greater tension on the forward bands, and approximately uniform tension on all the bands, more so than if the stops were of greater thickness.

These bands are cheaply and conveniently pro- 10 vided by slicing discarded inner tubes of autos.

As shown in Fig. 3, the rear end of said metal strip is widened and bent upward in a double fold 9, and then downward to form a terminal II) which is perforated to fasten it in place as indil5 cated in Fig. 1. A slot II in said fold 9 is in line with the tops of the stops, and the tape is threaded in said slot.

The barrel and stock are preferably made of two separate pieces of wood secured together by 20 cheek plates I2 of sheet metal connected by a rounded bottom, and fastened by brads or otherwise as indicated. An open top recess I3 is thus formed at the rear of the metal strip forming the stops, and in this recess is mounted a rotary 25 disc wheel I 4 on a pivot bolt [5 which is tightened to frictionally engage the wheel by a regulated pressure of the cheek plates thereon. The top of the winding wheel is level with the slot II and the tape is thus guided and guarded in its position over the stops. The frictional pressure of the cheek plates keeps the wheel from accidental forward rotation and avoids slackness in the tape as it is pulled to lift the bands successively from the stops.

The lifting tape is actuated by rotating the wheel rearwardly, and said tape forms the operative connection between the wheel and the tensioned bands. This rearward rotation is obtained by the hand of the user, who brings his thumb or other part of the hand into frictional contact with the periphery of the wheel, and winds up the tape thereon by a backward motion of the hand.

Old time cowboys and westerners tied back the triggers of their guns, and brought back and then released the hammer by a rearward movement of the hand and contact of the thumb or palm. This was called fanning the gun, and speeded up the discharge. It is one object of my present construction to allow the user of this gun to simulate this old time method of fanning in releasing the bands, as I have indicated by dotted lines in Fig. I. Said wheel therefore, represents the hammer and no trigger is provided in my construction; cheapness and simplicity is also obtained.

While I have shown and described my preferred construction, I do not limit myself to the exact form and arrangement except by the appended claim.

I claim:

In a band projecting gun, a stock, a barrel, and cheek plates adapted to secure said stock and barrel together in spaced relation forming a recess therebetween, a stop plate having a series of stops secured to said barrel, said stopplate terminating in a guide member at its rear end, a series of elastic bands stretched between the outer end of the barrel and the notches respectively, a lifting tape secured to the front end of said stop-plate and extending rearwardly between the stops and bands and through said guide member, a winding'wheel received and journaled in said recess and having the free end of the tape .fastened thereto, said winding wheel being so tape to disengage said elastic bands from said stops successively.

FRANK HAGEN. 

